The U.S. Department of Agriculture has authorized expanded Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and two months of Disaster NAP for typhoon‑affected households, part of a nearly $40 million food assistance package for the CNMI, Del. Kimberlyn King‑Hinds announced Tuesday.
The approval comes nearly two months after Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Commonwealth, leaving thousands of families dealing with prolonged outages, food spoilage and ongoing recovery challenges.
King‑Hinds said the USDA authorization includes two major components: a six‑month increase for current Nutrition Assistance Program households and temporary disaster benefits for residents who would not normally qualify but suffered typhoon‑related hardship.
She cautioned that although the federal approval is a major step, benefits will not be issued immediately. NAP staff must still finalize application procedures, eligibility rules and distribution timelines before payments can begin.
“Help is on the way, but please, please, please be patient,” King‑Hinds said. “The folks on the ground still need to make sure they roll out this program the right way.”
The USDA approval also includes additional oversight measures. Before a second month of Disaster NAP benefits can be released, the agency will review compliance requirements to ensure funds are reaching eligible households and being administered properly.
King‑Hinds thanked NAP leadership and staff for what she described as months of intensive work to secure federal support.
Officials said more information on application windows and benefit distribution will be released once implementation plans are finalized.
